


When the Cards Fall

by SerenBex



Category: The Bletchley Circle, The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-07-16 02:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16076756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenBex/pseuds/SerenBex
Summary: In the middle of a new case, someone from Millie's past turns up on the doorstep.Will the new arrival cause more trouble than they're prepared for?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I suck at summaries, I'm sorry.
> 
> I'm also so annoyed that ITV decided not to show all 8 episodes at the same time, so this was written after only seeing the first 4 (and a few spoilers). I suppose that does mean that I can still hold out hope for Jean/Hailey!

It had been a long day with very few positives to show at the end of it. The four women, their little band of detectives, had gone for a couple of drinks to signal the end of their disappointing search, before Jean and Millie said goodnight and headed back to their flat for the night.

 

They chatted about nothing in particular as they strolled through the city streets towards their flat, the younger of the two still unable to completely believe that her friend had decided to stay in San Francisco permanently. Millie was still firm in her belief that there was nothing left for either of them back in London, that there were new adventures to be had and new lives to build in America, but she still couldn’t completely shake the feeling that Jean wasn’t as sure as she was.

 

“Hello, Millie.”

 

“Kate?” Millie stopped abruptly, her eyes widening at the sight of the young woman sitting on their front step, perched on a large case that looked far too heavy for one person to manage on their own. “What… what on earth are you doing here?”

 

“Josephine gave me your address and money for my passage over here. She’s had enough of worrying about whether I’m in the process of damaging her reputation and I rather think she was hoping I’d become someone else’s problem for a while. Besides, coming to America seemed like an awfully exciting thing to do.”

 

Jean watched the interaction between the two younger women curiously. There was obviously a familiarity between them, judging by their body language and the topic of conversation. From the accent of the newcomer, Kate, she surmised that they had been born into similar backgrounds and families, which might account for how they knew each other. Millie was frowning lightly, instinctively reaching for her cigarette case, leading Jean to think that whatever was being alluded to as the reason for the younger woman’s arrival in San Francisco, it wasn’t positive.

 

“Why would Josephine send you _here_?” Millie asked, looking exasperated. “What could you possibly have done, this time, to encourage her to send you halfway around the world?”

 

“You don’t want to know.”

 

“Listen,” Jean motioned towards the front door, “I think we should take this in off the street. Whatever decisions need to be made can be tackled just as well inside as they can here.”

 

Millie stepped past Kate and fitted her key into the lock, leaving Jean to bring up the rear. Once the heavy suitcase had been dragged up the stairs and dumped unceremoniously in a corner of the living room, Millie busied herself making tea and left the other two women settling themselves on the settee.

 

She leant heavily against the counter, cursing her friend’s selfishness in unloading her younger sister on her, knowing that Josephine had always had very little patience where Kate was concerned. The younger woman didn’t help herself, however, seemingly going out of her way to irritate and shock her family with her behaviour.

 

“So, how do you know Millie?” Jean asked Kate, as soon as they were seated on either end of the settee.

 

“Oh, I’ve practically known Millie since before I was born.” The young woman informed her lightly. “She’s my sister’s closest friend.”

 

“Our families were old friends and Josephine and I were at school together.” Millie explained, setting a tray down on the table and looking sharply at Kate. “Our lives have taken drastically different paths since then.”

 

“Yes, because my sister is the most dreadful bore.”

 

“She simply has different priorities.” Millie reasoned. “She has George and the children to think about.”

 

“As I said; she’s a terrible bore.”

 

Spotting Kate attempting to stifle a yawn, Jean suggested that they turn in for the night, announcing that she was sure the young woman must be exhausted after all the excitement of finding herself in a new city on a new continent. Assuring them that she would be perfectly fine sleeping on the settee, Kate thanked them for their hospitality, before disappearing into the bathroom to change.

 

“So? What’s the unspoken part of this story?” Jean asked in a low voice, helping her friend clear up their tea things.

 

“I feel sorry for her.” Millie admitted quietly. “No one ever had time for Kate while she was growing up; she was eleven years younger than Josephine, nine years younger than James… she was raised by nannies and shipped out to boarding school when she was seven. When she was born Josephine said that general opinion in the family was that Kate had been an accident. I just hope that no one ever said that in her earshot.” Letting out a long breath, she turned to lean against the counter and shook her head. “Josie and I used to visit her at school sometimes because their parents never did. Although if I hadn’t suggested it I doubt it would have occurred to Josie, either.”

 

“Poor girl…”

 

“According to Josie, Kate’s avoided all attempts to find her a suitable husband and drawn rather more attention to herself than is respectable. It’s no wonder, really, when you think about it.”

 

Jean chuckled. “She sounds exactly like you.”

 

Not addressing the comment, Millie sighed. “I’ll have to telephone her sister; she’ll want to know she’s arrived safely at least.”

 

“What about her parents?”

 

“Their father was killed during the war and their mother died a few years ago. It’s Kate and her siblings now, although they’re both busy with their own lives and it seems as though she’s rather an inconvenience to them.”

 

“No wonder the poor girl didn’t mind being banished to America.”

 

“She can’t stay here, though. It’s far too dangerous for her to get caught up in all this.”

 

“You can’t just turf her out on the streets.”

 

“No, I know…”

 

As the bathroom door opened, the conversation ended abruptly. The three women bid each other goodnight before Millie and Jean disappeared behind their respective bedroom doors and Kate settled herself on the rather comfortable settee in the living room.

 

* * *

 

 The next morning, Millie found herself watching the young woman sleeping thoughtfully, with pursed lips and a furrowed brow. Her eyes lingered on the long coppery waves that were spilling across the cushions and almost obscuring Kate from view. A soft sigh escaped the sleeping woman’s lips and she pushed her hair away from her face, still fast asleep, her nose scrunching up slightly as she shifted on the settee.

 

From behind her, the sound of a newspaper being opened brought her attention back to the other woman in the kitchen and she turned away from the settee to smile at Jean instead. Arching an eyebrow, the older woman motioned towards the teapot, pouring her friend a cup when she nodded and moved to sit at the table beside her. They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, before Jean cleared her throat.

 

“Iris and Hailey will be here soon.” She reminded her softly. “We ought to wake her.”

 

“And decide what to do.” Millie sighed. “I can’t let her get mixed up in all this.”

 

Jean pottered around the kitchen, preparing for their friends to arrive to work on their latest case. There had been two abductions, both ending in murder. Iris had brought them the case, convinced there was a pattern when she noticed that a playing card had been left at both abduction sites.

 

Millie crouched beside the settee, reaching out and laying her hand on Kate’s cheek. In her sleep, the younger woman sighed and leant into the touch. At the light stroke of a thumb along her cheekbone, Kate began to stir, blinking sleepily for a moment, before her eyes focused on Millie and she smiled softly.

 

“Morning sleepy head.” The brunette teased. “No need to ask if you slept well.”

 

Kate chuckled, stretching languidly and pulling herself into a seated position. “Very well, thank you.”

 

“You may want to get dressed. Some friends of ours will be arriving soon to work on something we’re looking into at the moment.”

 

Frowning slightly at her odd explanation, Kate nodded and rummaged around in her suitcase before heading to the bathroom to dress. By the time she returned there were two other women sitting at the kitchen table with Millie and Jean. The four of them were apparently deep in discussion, pouring over an open file on the surface between them, which gave Kate the opportunity to watch them for a while.

 

Millie took a drag on the cigarette dangling from her fingers, shaking her head at something one of the newcomers had said. Sitting with her back to Kate, all she could make out about the woman was beautifully styled black hair and a cardigan in a lovely shade of teal. Beside her sat a younger woman, possibly around Kate’s age. She looked wilder, less refined, with her hair flying around her shoulders every time she shook her head or leant forward to see the papers better.

 

“Ah, Kate… come and sit down.” Jean was the first to spot her, smiling warmly and motioning for her to join them. “This is Iris Bearden and Hailey Yarner, friends of ours.”

 

“Hi, I’m Hailey.” The younger woman was on her feet immediately, fixing Kate with a wide, beaming smile and holding out her hand. When the redhead took hers, she pumped it up and down enthusiastically for a long moment. “Millie’s been telling us all about ya.”

 

Shooting a look at the woman in question, Kate arched an eyebrow. “Has she now?”

 

Helping herself to a cup of tea from the pot, the young woman slid into the seat Jean had indicated, content to listen to the others talking about their case. It turned out that they were amateur sleuths of a sort, something that Kate found fascinating. Listening to them deducing information from the evidence they had was amazing; the four women pulling facts and theories seemingly from thin air and weaving them together to give them some leads to follow up.

 

When the paper was delivered, Kate went to collect it, sensing that her presence wouldn’t be missed for a couple of minutes while she went downstairs. Glancing at the front page as she picked it off the porch, she did a double take, her eyes devouring the words that were printed there.

 

Unable to stop herself, she burst back into the flat and waved the paper at the others. They frowned, not managing to untangle her garbled words until Millie hooked the paper from her grasp and looked at it for herself. She slapped it down on the kitchen table on top of the files and pointed dramatically to the story that had captured Kate’s attention.

 

“Another one… Pamela Murphy…”

 

“Isn’t she the housekeeper who inherited that fortune when her employer died?” Iris asked, moving around the table to look at the paper the right way up. “Does it mention a playing card?”

 

Hailey shook her head slowly. “No… nothing. I know where she was abducted from, though, so we should check it out.”

 

As she and Iris headed off to do just that and Millie went to the police station to speak to a detective she knew there, Jean started tidying up the papers into a neat pile. Muttering that she needed some air, Kate wandered downstairs and out onto the stoop. She took in a long, deep breath, sinking down to sit on the top step of the stairs that led down to the path, leaning heavily against the wooden handrail.

 

“We weren’t properly introduced last night.” Jean pointed out about ten minutes later, stepping through the front door and taking a seat on the small bench against the wall. When Kate glanced up at her from her position on the step, she smiled and held out her hand politely. “Jean McBrien.”

 

“Kathryn Chamberlain… Kate to my friends.” The younger woman replied, moving closer so that she could shake the proffered hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs McBrien.”

 

“Miss.” Jean corrected her. “But you may call me Jean.”

 

“Sorry, I… I shouldn’t presume these things. It’s the natural result of my upbringing, I suppose. Being presumptuous, I mean.” She laughed mirthlessly. “It’s one of my _many_ less than desirous qualities.”

 

“Come now, dear, there’s no use feeling sorry for ourselves. We’re on this earth to make the best of the cards we’re dealt.”

 

“Easy for you to say… you’re not the one who’s perpetually in the way.” Seeing the expression on the older woman’s face, she shrugged and smiled wryly. “I heard you and Millie talking last night.”

 

“Kate…”

 

“No, it’s alright. Millie’s right. My brother and sister have made sure that I remember I was a mistake throughout my whole life. The only person that I ever felt was happy to see me was Millie.” She shook her head sadly. “But even she drifted away eventually, not that I blame her; she had her own life to live.”

 

“I’m sure Millie doesn’t even know you felt like that, dear.” Jean told her kindly. “I’m sure if you’d gone to her–”

 

“Why do you think I actually agreed to Josephine’s plan? It would have been so easy just to refuse, but I didn’t because going along with it brought me here… to Millie. But imagine being twenty-nine-years-old and being seen as nothing but an inconvenience – alone and friendless and shipped across the ocean to be a burden to someone else for a while.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have come.”

 

“Millie’s concerns about you being here are nothing to do with you.” Jean informed her seriously, frowning at the disbelief on her new acquaintance’s face. “She’s worried about you getting caught up in something dangerous. You’ve seen what we do… she doesn’t want anything to happen to you.”

 

“I’m not a child.” Kate pointed out. “I’m older than Hailey. I might not be as intelligent as the rest of you, but I’ve been taking care of myself for long enough to be quite confident in my abilities to keep myself out of too much danger.”

 

“You’ve never been in a situation like this, though.”

 

“I’m not _in_ the situation. I’m– hang on… I’ve just thought of something.” The young woman frowned suddenly, chewing her lip. “When you said we make the best of the cards we’re dealt… your case with the playing cards. What if the cards that are left are linked to something specific in the victim’s lives? Maybe that’s why they were chosen?”

 

“Like what?”

 

“I don’t know.” The redhead shrugged. “I don’t profess to be anywhere near as brilliant as you lot. But… leaving a different playing card at each scene? Millie was saying you needed to look for the pattern. Maybe that’s it?”


	2. Chapter 2

When Iris and Hailey returned to the flat, they produced a playing card that had been missed by the police. Frowning as she took the Queen of Diamonds from Hailey’s hand, Jean moved to pin it onto the notice board they were using to keep track of the case.

 

“Wait…” She glanced over at Kate, who was lounging on the settee and reading a book she had borrowed from the Scot. The younger woman’s words ran through her mind and, as she stared at the playing card, something clicked into place. “The playing cards…”

 

“What about them?” Iris asked with a frown.

 

“We guessed that they were a clue to the pattern.” Jean reminded her, finding the previous cards in the file. “Kate suggested earlier that the cards could be linked to something in the victim’s lives and that might be why they were targeted.”

 

“Why was she getting involved?” Millie demanded, turning to frown at the redhead.

 

Kate rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t, not really. We were talking and it just occurred to me.”

 

“I think she’s right…” Iris mused.

 

“Thank you, Iris.” Kate called, shooting a sarcastic smile in Millie’s direction.

 

“No, but think about it… Matthew Prier was being sued for embezzling funds from his construction company and the murder left the King of Spades at his home. Construction… spades.”

 

Hailey moved forward, picking up on what she was saying. “The second victim, Lorraine May, owned a club downtown that was gathering a reputation for being seedy… she got the Queen of Clubs.” She tapped the latest card that had been left. “And Pamela Murphy–”

 

“Queen of Diamonds.” Jean finished. “After her recent windfall, I think we can assume that’s the link.”

 

“Spades, Clubs, Diamonds… only Hearts left.” Millie murmured. “So what should we be looking for?”

 

“Look through the papers for anything to do with affairs of the heart…” Jean said decisively. “Anything at all. We can’t narrow it down just yet.”

 

“I’ll go and buy some more.” Hailey offered, grabbing her jacket and heading out of the flat. She paused in the doorway, shooting Kate a wink. “Good catch, Chamberlain.”

 

Shaking her head, Kate righted herself into a seated position. “Jean? Didn’t you say you wanted to see where the latest abduction took place? I’ll come with you, if you want?”

 

“No, I don’t think that’s a very good idea.” Millie jumped in at once. “You just stay out of trouble. We can handle this.”

 

Jean watched Kate deflate slightly at her dismissal, making up her mind quickly and climbing to her feet. “Alright, but I’m driving.”

 

“Jean!”

 

“We’ll be fine, Millie.” She assured the younger brunette with a meaningful expression on her face. “You never know, Kate might have another spark of inspiration.”

 

Keeping her head down and avoiding meeting Millie’s eyes, the redhead followed Jean out of the flat and down to the car. She slid into the passenger’s side, finding it slightly odd that it was on the opposite side to what she was used to, listening to the soft murmur of the radio as Jean drove them towards the crime scene.

 

Kate wondered whether she ought to break the silence, to thank Jean for convincing Millie to let her out of the flat and for crediting her with the realisation of what the playing cards might mean. As she thought about it, something else occurred to her and she gasped quietly.

 

“Are you alright, dear?” Jean asked, her eyebrows furrowing in concern.

 

“Yes, I just…” She took a breath. “Please don’t be angry with me for asking this, but… does Hailey know you’re in love with her?”

 

Jean stamped on the break in response to the question, turning wide eyes on the younger woman. It was lucky they were on an otherwise deserted road. “What?”

 

“I won’t say anything… not to anyone. But I… I can read the signs.” She bit her lip, apparently coming to a decision before speaking again. “The real reason my sister paid for me to come here is that I was having an affair… with a woman. Josephine caught us and decided that enough was enough. She’s long suspected that I have no interest in men, but after catching me with Elsie her worst fears were confirmed and she decided that was it.” She smiled weakly. “So, you see, you have nothing to fear from me, Jean.”

 

“I… it wouldn’t work.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“She’s so young.” Jean sighed. “She deserves the chance to find someone of her own age that she can have fun with… someone to spend the rest of her life with. I’m–”

 

“Bullshit.” Kate exclaimed, causing the older woman to splutter with indignation.

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

“You’re being defeatist and making excuses. Why not give Hailey the chance to decide for herself who she wants to be with? You need to talk to her about that. Besides, why is her happiness more important than yours?”

 

“I…”

 

“Listen, Jean… I’m pretty sure she feels the same about you. It’s amazing what you notice when you’re told to sit in the corner and be quiet.” Her voice softened. “I’m not going to say anything, I promise, but please just think about it.”

 

Collecting herself, Jean started driving again. After a couple of moments, she looked sideways. “So, this Elsie… what was she like?”

 

Kate chuckled. “Beautiful… older.”

 

“Did you love her?”

 

“I did… at least I thought I did.”

 

“As much as you love Millie?” At Jean’s words, Kate turned wide eyes on her, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. “Oh, calm down, dear. You can’t be angry with me after the conversation we’ve just had. Rest assured, I won’t share your secret, either. It seems that we find ourselves with the same predicament.”

 

“The major difference between our situations is that while I’m sure Hailey shares your feelings, Millie doesn’t return mine.” Sensing that Jean was about to argue, she shook her head. “Oh, I’m sure she loves me, just not in the way I want her to. She still sees me as a child; I don’t think she’ll ever look at me in any other way.”

 

“Now who’s being defeatist?”

 

Laughing, Kate shook her head and looked out of the window. In no time they were drawing up on the side of the road near the place where Pamela Murphy had been abducted. The police report said that her bicycle had been found abandoned but there was no other sign of a struggle. Hailey and Iris had found the playing card in the scrubby grass beside the road, but apart from that there was nothing of any use at all to be found there.

 

“There’s no point staying here.” Jean sighed after a short while. “There’s nothing helpful.”

 

“OK, I think you’re right.” The redhead agreed, straightening up and stepping towards her new friend. “Maybe we should–”

 

Kate broke off; feeling as though her brain was short-circuiting as a car driving towards them revved its engine loudly before shooting forwards. She only had time to shove Jean roughly out of the car’s path, clumsily tumbling after her, before it was shooting past them and disappearing from sight around a bend in the road.

 

“Jean? Are you alright?” She demanded, on her feet in seconds and crouching anxiously beside the older woman, her heart hammering in her chest. “I’m sorry I pushed you, I–”

 

“Don’t apologise, you silly girl.” Jean chastised her shakily. “You just saved my life.”

 

Glancing anxiously in the direction that the potential joyrider had vanished, they climbed back into the car. Just sitting for a couple of minutes, calming themselves down, they both felt the silence weighing heavily on them, before Jean started the engine and started driving them back towards the city.

 

“Don’t… don’t tell Millie?” Kate requested softly. “Please? I… she’ll just fuss and I… I know she still thinks of me as Josephine’s little sister and feels like she has to look after me, but…”

 

“You want her to see you for _you_ ; as a grown woman who’s in control of her own life?” Jean finished for her. There was a knowing look in her eyes that the younger woman wasn’t sure she was completely comfortable with. It was an understanding and sympathy and a kinship that had to be kept safely between them. “The only problem is, dear, that she’s definitely going to notice the ripped stockings and bloodied hands and knees, not to mention the fact that we’re both shaking like leaves.”

 

“She might be distracted by the fact we didn’t find anything useful?” Kate suggested hopefully, wrinkling her nose.

 

Jean chuckled. “Not a chance. A near death experience does rather help to put things in perspective, though.”

 

“Are you going to say something to Hailey?”

 

“We’ll see.”

 

Instinctively knowing that she wasn’t going to get anything more out of the older woman, Kate smiled and leant back against the headrest, forcing her heart rate to return to somewhere near normal. She hoped that the driver had simply lost control or not been paying attention to the road when it sped towards them, rather than anything more sinister.

 

Apparently Jean was thinking the same, because her lips were pursed and her eyebrows were furrowed as she drove. Neither of them said anything until they drew up outside the house and wearily climbed the steps to the front door. Kate noticed that Jean was struggling more with her injured leg than normal and kicked herself for not realising that she was more badly hurt than she’d let on.

 

Offering her arm, she took as much of the older woman’s weight as Jean would allow, helping her slowly up to the flat and unlocking the door. Millie’s eyes were on them immediately, narrowing in confusion as Kate helped Jean onto the settee carefully.

 

“Edward? You remember Kathryn Chamberlain?” She said, drawing their attention to the previously unnoticed figure on the far side of the room.

 

“Kathryn… how absolutely splendid to see you.” Millie’s cousin greeted her with fake-warmth, his smile not meeting his eyes. “It must be… oh, Fred’s wedding would have been the last time we saw each other, would it not? How old were you then?”

 

“Fifteen. It’s lovely to see you again. You’re looking well.” She returned the greeting with just as much false sincerity.

 

“How are Josephine and James? The children? _Christina_?”

 

Kate’s eyes narrowed at the last name he’d spoken. “They’re quite well, thank you.” She ground out, her hands curling into fists at her sides. “How’s _Theodora_?”

 

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen her in years. I heard she’d married Rupert Hindleman.” He told her, his eyes flashing with anger.

 

Sensing the tension between them reaching dangerous levels, Millie stepped forward and grasped Kate gently, but firmly, by the upper arms. “Well, pleasant as this has been, Edward… weren’t you just saying you have somewhere to be?”

 

“Quite.” He bowed his head in agreement and motioned towards the door. “Lovely to see you, ladies. Until next time.”

 

As soon as he was gone, Millie rounded on Jean and Kate, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. “What happened?”

 

“Nothing!” Kate immediately attempted to deny that there was anything wrong.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The brunette scoffed, looking between them. “It is painfully obvious that something– Your knees! Jean, what on earth happened?”

 

The whole story came tumbling out as Millie tended to the cuts and grazes on the older woman’s hands and knees. She glanced up at Kate who was leaning on the back of the settee, receiving a small shrug when she asked if the redhead was hurt. Jean huffed, rolling her eyes and announcing that she was sure Kate must have hurt herself when she pushed her out of the way of the car, causing Millie to gape at her.

 

“You… you did that?” A wave of annoyance surged up inside Kate at the surprise in her tone, but before she could speak Millie was shaking her head and speaking again. “Of course you did, you silly, darling girl. Come here.”

 

Whatever Kate had been expecting, it wasn’t to be enveloped in a tight embrace. Closing her eyes tightly, the redhead dropped her forehead to Millie’s shoulder and fisted her hands into the back of her cardigan, holding on tightly.

 

“She saved my life.”

 

Pulling back, Millie examined Kate’s face for a moment, before smiling weakly and letting her go. “Do you think it’s connected to the case? Or were you just in the wrong place at the wrong time?”

 

“I’d like to think the latter.” Jean announced, shaking Kate out of her reverie. “They didn’t attempt to finish the job.”

 

“I agree.” The younger woman added with a firm nod. “I think perhaps the driver wasn’t paying attention to the road. I imagine he wasn’t expecting two women to be standing in the middle of it.”

 

Millie didn’t look convinced, but nodded slowly. She began to tell them about the lack of anything relating to the possible next victim in the day’s papers, before the telephone rang and she hurried away to answer it.

 

“What was it about Mr Harcourt that’s got you so rattled?” Jean asked curiously, evidently having waited until they were alone.

 

“I’m not rattled.” Kate denied immediately.

 

“You could have fooled me.” The older woman scoffed. “Who’s Christina?”

 

“My… niece.”

 

“You don’t sound sure?”

 

“She’s my niece.” Kate repeated more firmly. “Josephine’s her mother.”

 

Millie returned at that moment and told them that Hailey and Iris were at the jazz club and wondering whether they wanted to join them. Not needing to be asked twice, Jean and Kate hastily changed out of their ripped stockings, before heading out to join their friends.


	3. Chapter 3

Jean glanced up from her crossword as the bathroom door opened and footsteps came along the hallway and into the living room. She arched an eyebrow at the sight of the young woman who had saved her life several days earlier and had somehow become her confidant and confided in her in return. Kate had changed from the casual slacks and blouse she’d been wearing all day into a dress with an emerald skirt and simple black bodice. Her hair lay in soft waves over her shoulders and, as she flipped it out of her way, Jean was sure Kate had surreptitiously looked for Millie’s reaction to her appearance.

 

“You’re rather dressed up for the club.” She pointed out, her eyes twinkling as she heard, rather than saw, Millie inhaling sharply. A smirk tugged at her lips as she watched the redhead assessing herself in the mirror on the far wall. “Did I miss the memo about putting my glad rags on?”

 

“Uhh... no. I’m not coming to the club tonight.” Kate paused, her lipstick in her hand and raised ready to be applied. She turned to look at her friends, seeing the interested, bemused expressions on their faces.

 

“You look very nice.” Millie told her guardedly, tilting her head to appraise her thoroughly. She tapped the ash from the end of her cigarette into the ashtray, looking down carefully. “Do you have a date?”

 

“Oh, no, nothing like that.” Kate assured them quickly, glancing away as Jean shot her a questioning look. “I’m going to a bar downtown that Hailey was telling me about. It’s a private club of sorts. She knows some people who go there and thought I might like them.”

 

Jean noticed that her best friend didn’t seem particularly happy about the idea and considered the reaction thoughtfully. Out loud, she said, “Sounds wonderful. I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time. You youngsters need to let your hair down without us around sometimes.”

 

Kate shot her a disapproving look. “We need nothing of the sort, Jean. You’re more than welcome to join us – we’d love you to, in fact – but we weren’t sure that you’d like it. It’s got a very... unique... atmosphere.”

 

“It’s quite alright, dear.” Jean assured her with a smile, having some idea of the sort of establishment the two young women were intending to visit and laughing internally at her description. “Go and enjoy yourselves.”

 

“I’m not sure this is a good idea.” Millie said suddenly, furrowing her eyebrows. “I don’t think you ought to be hanging around goodness knows where late at night. Perhaps Hailey should come here and–”

 

“Ignore her, dear.” Jean cut across her best friend, nudging Millie with her knee. “Go out and have fun.”

 

“I shouldn’t be back too late but don’t stay up and wait for me, just in case.”

 

“Be careful.” Millie cautioned. “The city can be dangerous… particularly for a young girl alone at night.”

 

“I’m a _woman_ , not a young girl.” Kate told her evenly. “Besides, I won’t be alone. I’m quite sure Hailey and I can take care of ourselves.”

 

“I don’t doubt it, dear.” Jean smiled warmly as Kate shrugged her jacket on and moved towards the door. “Enjoy yourselves.”

 

As the flat door clicked shut behind her, Jean turned to her friend with exasperation clear on her face. “For the love of all that is holy, what was that?”

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t act the innocent with me, Millie Harcourt. I’ve known you long enough that I can read you like a book. It would normally be me cautioning against what they’re off out to do and you encouraging it. What on earth has gotten into you?”

 

Millie stood up and moved to sit on the settee where she wouldn’t have to meet Jean’s eyes. “Nothing! But we don’t even know where they’re going. Anything could happen to them out there. Perhaps we should–?”

 

“If you’re about to suggest that we follow them, then don’t even finish that sentence.” The older woman sighed. “They’re grown women, Millie. They’re perfectly able to make their own decisions. They deserve a little fun, don’t they?”

 

“I just want her to be safe... I want _both_ of them to be safe.”

 

“They’ll be fine.” Jean assured her gently, a knowing smirk on her face. “As Kate said; they can handle themselves.”

 

Letting out a short, sharp huff, Millie gestured towards the door impatiently. “Well? Are we going to meet Iris or not?”

 

* * *

 

 

As they had agreed, Kate met Hailey at the end of the block, smiling warmly at her and pushing her hands deep into the pockets of her coat as they started walking to the bar the younger woman thought she should visit. It had taken approximately an hour for Hailey to be convinced that Kate was ‘like her’, as she put it, and a further two days and several drinks for her to ask the redheaded Brit about it.

 

She had been uncharacteristically shy, deciding that she liked the newcomer to their ranks and didn’t want to alienate her if her assumption had been wrong. Emboldened by the bourbon in her system, Hailey had looked Kate dead in the eyes and asked if she had a girlfriend. For a moment there had been silence, before Kate laughed and told her no. They had immediately bonded and Hailey had confided that she thought she was falling in love with Jean, asking her new friend for help.

 

“You’re gonna love this place.” Hailey assured Kate as they reached their destination. “It’s way nicer inside than it looks out here.”

 

Kate thought that it would have been difficult for the interior of the club to look worse than it looked on the outside. It was a dingy building that appeared to be derelict and had been for a very long time. The entrance was down a set of uneven concrete steps, the doorway apparently leading into a basement. Hailey sent an incredibly skeptical Kate a reassuring smile as she pushed open the door, greeting the man standing just inside like an old friend. He grinned at her warmly, before turning a suspicious eye on the redhead.

 

“This is my friend Kate. She’s British.”

 

“Hello.” Kate greeted him, proving her ethnicity through her accent.

 

“Welcome to San Francisco.” The bouncer said, apparently happy to accept that she was trustworthy on Hailey’s word.

 

“Thanks.”

 

Looking around, as Hailey tugged on her hand and pulled her across the room, Kate had to agree that the assessment of the building was correct. The inside of the club was warm and cosy and inviting. The decor was all rich reds and shiny blacks, with tables dotted around an already busy dance floor. Like at the bar they usually frequented, there was a jazz band playing. Unlike their usual bar, however, the patrons seemed unashamedly comfortable with who they were.

 

“Alright?” Hailey asked softly, concern evident in her eyes at her friend’s silence.

 

Kate smiled. “Of course. This place is wonderful.”

 

“Course it is, they’re all like us.”

 

A relieved grin split the younger woman’s face as Kate chuckled. She swiftly ordered two bourbons, laughing at something the barman said in her ear, before handing Kate her drink. They stood at the bar for a while, observing everything going on around them, before retreating to a table in the corner with their third drinks of the evening.

 

“Who’s your friend, Hailey?” A petite blonde asked, looking Kate up and down with obvious interest.

 

“Jenny, this is Kate. Kate, Jenny.”

 

“Charmed...” Jenny took the redhead’s hand in hers and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

 

“It’s nice to meet you.”

 

“Ooh, British? What’ve you been keeping this one, Hailey?”

 

“I haven’t been keeping her anywhere.” The younger woman replied easily. “She’s a friend.”

 

“Can I buy you a drink, Kate?”

 

She smiled. “Perhaps later.”

 

Watching as Jenny sauntered away, adding an extra sway to her hips as she went, Hailey chuckled. “You wanna watch that one. Although something tells me you’re not interested anyway.”

 

“I thought we were here to talk about  _you_?” Kate reminded her with a smirk, arching an eyebrow and lighting a cigarette. She leant forward; resting both elbows on the slightly sticky table and grinned. “What are you going to do about your all-consuming crush on Jean?”

 

Hailey groaned, putting her head in her hands. “I don’t know. I don’t wanna mess things up. What if I tell her how I feel and she doesn’t feel the same? Or, even worse, she doesn’t understand and is disgusted and it ruins everything?”

 

“I can assure you that the latter scenario is definitely _not_ going to happen.” Kate promised gently, running a hand through Hailey’s hair, before placing a finger under her chin and encouraging her to look up. “You’ve got to grab the bull by the horns. Or, you know, grab Jean by the hands or whatever.”

 

“How can you possibly know that it won’t blow up in my face?” A spark of hope appeared in her eyes. “Has she said something?”

 

“Hailey, you’ve just got to follow your heart.” Kate told her, seriously, avoiding answering the question. “You might regret it, otherwise.”

 

“What did she say when you told her you were coming out with me?”

 

Kate rolled her eyes. “Really? We’re actually having this conversation?”

 

“Yeah! Come on, you gotta tell me!”

 

“She said that it sounded wonderful, we should enjoy ourselves and she was sure we’d have a lovely time.” Kate relented and told Hailey, taking a careful sip of her drink and staring at her cigarette for a moment. “Millie was a little odd about it, though. She said she didn’t think it was a good idea and that it would be dangerous. I pointed out that we could both look after ourselves and Jean backed me up. Millie still didn’t look happy, though.”

 

Sending her a knowing look, Hailey drained her glass and went to buy the next round.

 

* * *

 

The next morning found the two young women passed out together on the settee. Jean spotted them first, rolling her eyes and tutting softly at the sight of Kate propped up against the arm of the chair and Hailey sprawled along the length with her head in her friend’s lap and her legs dangling off the opposite end. She was in no doubt that they would both be complaining of aches and pains when they came to in those positions and briefly considered waking them up. When Millie joined her, however, she realised she’d spent so long contemplating whether she would or not that they were starting to stir anyway.

 

“You both made it home in one piece, then?” Millie asked stiffly, sounding as though she didn’t much care either way, leaning against one of the kitchen counters and eyeing them over the top of her teacup.

 

“Mmm…” Kate agreed with a slight wince, jostling Hailey as she stretched. Her friend yawned widely and pulled herself into a seated position, before they both smiled at Jean who handed them each a cup of tea. “Thank you.”

 

“Did you enjoy yourselves?” She asked, shooting Millie a look as she huffed again.

 

“Very much so.”

 

“Give this one a couple of bourbons and she turns into a whirling dervish!” Hailey teased, earning herself a frown and a light slap on the shoulder from her friend. “I haven’t laughed that much in a long time.”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous. I was a paragon of propriety, Miss Yarner.”

 

“Is that a fancy way of saying you’re a messy drunk?”

 

“Oh, be quiet, you!” Kate laughed, pulling the cushion from behind her and flinging it sideways into the younger woman’s face.

 

Laughing, Hailey struggled to stand up, aided by a gentle shove from Kate. Jean nodded when she requested to use the bathroom, leaving the three Brits alone in the living room. Millie still looked deeply irritated by something, although she apparently had no intention of sharing what it was.

 

“Toast?”

 

“Thanks, Jean.” Kate smiled warmly at her, squeezing her arm gratefully as she dropped heavily into one of the chairs at the small table. “So, what did you get up to last night?”

 

“We met Iris at the club.” The older woman informed her, sliding a plate of toast in front of her and settling herself in her own seat. She picked up her pencil and dropped her gaze to the crossword she hadn’t managed to complete the evening before. “We’re still no further on with narrowing down the possible locations the murderer is using, but Iris is sure she’s almost on to something.”

 

“Almost?”

 

“Mmm… she doesn’t want to say anything just yet, but she said she’d let us know soon.”

 

“So, what’s on the cards for today?”

 

Millie glanced at her. “More of the usual, I’m afraid. If you’re quite up to it, that is?”

 

Kate smiled at her. “Oh, I’m absolutely up to it, don’t you worry about me.”

 

* * *

 

“It’s been nearly a week and there’s still no sign of any story in any paper that would tie in with our theory.” Hailey almost whined as she dropped a newspaper on the kitchen table in Millie and Jean’s flat. It had been several days since she and Kate had woken up on their settee feeling slightly worse for wear and Millie had only just thawed towards them. “Maybe we were wrong?”

 

“But there hasn’t been another abduction, either.” Iris reasoned.

 

“And we’re still no closer to working out who’s behind this.” Millie sighed, equally frustrated.

 

Pamela Murphy’s body had been found in woodland three days previously in the same state and with the same injuries as the other victims. Each of the women felt as though it was a race against time before there was another abduction but, as yet, they couldn’t find anything that fitted their theory in the local newspapers.

 

“I think we should talk to Colin Smith again.” Jean suggested, referring to the postman who had known the first two victims. “We might be able to find a link between him and Miss Murphy.”

 

“Good idea, Jean.” Hailey agreed eagerly at once, causing Kate to smirk down at the article she was reading. “I’ll come with you.”

 

“Maybe we should go and see whether the police have anything new?” Iris suggested, looking at Millie. “There might be something unreported in the papers that Olivia can tell us.”

 

“Kate?” Millie glanced across at the redhead.

 

“I think I’ll stay here.” She replied slowly. “I’ll keep looking… there _must_ be something we’re missing.”

 

Nodding in agreement, the others gathered their coats and headed out of the flat. Moving to pour herself another cup of coffee and light another cigarette, Kate walked across to the window and watched the two cars driving away from outside the house in opposite directions.

 

She smiled fondly as she recalled Hailey’s obvious enthusiasm to being alone with Jean, recalling walking into the flat the previous day and catching sight of the younger woman planting a kiss on Jean’s lips, apparently much to the Scot’s surprise. Neither of them had noticed her presence and so, as Jean’s hands slowly slid around to the small of Hailey’s back and she leant in to kiss her again, Kate had retreated into the hallway and pulled the door quietly closed to give them some privacy.

 

Turning away from the window, Kate settled herself at the table once more and pulled another newspaper towards her with a sigh. She had just found herself distracted by an account of a robbery on the opposite side of the city, when there was a loud banging on the door.

 

With a frown, wondering who could be on the other side, the redhead opened the door and peered out. Her frown deepened as she realised she didn’t recognise the man who was staring at her, nodding slowly as he asked whether she was Kathryn Chamberlain.

 

Kate was not expecting him to lurch forward and grab her by both arms, forcing her backwards into the flat and slamming the door behind him. She lashed out as he shoved her into the sofa, catching the end table with her foot and sending it skittering across the floor, everything on top of it scattering. She hit out again, pulling the coat stand over with a crash and knocking a lamp to the ground in the process.

 

Growling, the man pushed her against the wall and held her there with his full weight. She struggled, fighting against him with everything she had, but it was pointless as his hands tightened around her throat and she fought to catch her breath.

 

Seconds later, her world went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Iris and Millie hadn’t had any luck at the police station and Jean and Hailey had been similarly unfortunate on their mission to speak to the postman. They returned to the flat dejectedly, meeting on the path and briefly exchanging their findings, or lack thereof, before heading inside together.

 

Hailey’s sentence trailed off into nothing as she spotted that the front door was slightly ajar, sticking out her arm to stop Jean stepping past her. Shaking her head as Millie tried to walk round her, her eyes wide and fearful, the young woman carefully pushed the door open and looked inside.

 

She gasped at the obvious signs of a struggle and the fact that it was very clearly deserted. The china and glass from the smashed lamp crunched under her shoes as she walked further into the flat, looking for any evidence of what had happened there.

 

“Oh no…” She snatched something up off the table and turned, brandishing the small scrap of card in the others’ direction. “Jack of Hearts.”

 

“This cannot be happening…” Millie sank onto the sofa, her head in her hands. “I should have protected her… I should have–”

 

“Stop thinking of her as a child.” Jean ordered sternly, frowning at her. “Kate is _not_ a child. It’s not your job to protect her. Besides, how were you supposed to know this would happen?”

 

“I know she’s not a child…” Dark eyes, filled with tears, turned to look at the older woman. “I _know_ , Jean.”

 

“OK.” Understanding flooded Jean and she nodded, reaching out and squeezing Millie’s shoulder. “OK.”

 

“Why would they leave the Jack of Hearts for Kate?” Iris asked, frowning in confusion. “What possible reason could there be for that?”

 

Jean sighed, remembering the conversation she’d had with the young woman over a week previously. “I think I might know.”

 

“Jean?”

 

“She had an affair; that’s why her sister sent her over here.”

 

Millie looked at her for a long moment, understanding suddenly dawning in her eyes. Standing up abruptly, she inhaled sharply. “I’m going to telephone Josephine. She needs to know what’s happened.”

 

“We should call the cops first.” Hailey said sensibly, looking at the others for support. “They need to know that Kate’s missing.”

 

Jean reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’ll do it. Then you should phone her sister, Millie.”

 

The others nodded, retreating to the kitchen as Jean made the call to the police. They assured her that officers would be dispatched to secure and search the scene for evidence straight away.

 

“At least Kate put up one hell of a fight.” Hailey said, looking at the mess.

 

“That’s my girl…” Millie muttered distractedly.

 

As soon as Jean joined them in the kitchen, she was on her feet, hurrying to telephone her old school friend. Millie was still on the phone when the police arrived, a frown on her face as she listened to what was being said on the other end of the line. Glancing towards the others, who were chatting in low voices and shooting the policemen sideways glances every now and then, she ended the call and stepped towards them.

 

“What did Kate’s sister have to say?”

 

“She was having an affair with an Elsie Johnson; Josephine doesn’t know, or want to know, any more than that.” Millie informed them, lighting a cigarette and taking a long, calming drag. “She bought the steamer ticket, in Kate’s name, three weeks before the boat was due to sail. Apparently she’d run out of patience and didn’t want Kate around her family any more.”

 

“I don’t understand… is it just because the person Kate was having the affair with is a woman?” Hailey asked, her face scrunched up in confusion.

 

Millie shook her head. “Partially, but not really; Josephine has never had much patience with Kate because she’s very different from her. Josephine likes things ordered and conventional and… well, you know Kate well enough to know that she is neither of those things. The simple truth is that Josephine doesn’t like Kate and never has.”

 

There was a long pause and then one of the policemen approached them to ask questions. They answered as honestly as they could, under the circumstances, before being assured that they would let them know as soon as there were any developments.

 

“What if – and this is going to sound crazy – but what if this, the other three murders… what if all of this was to cover up the fact that someone wanted to target Kate?” Hailey theorised slowly once they were alone, her eyes widening as she raised them to meet the others’.

 

“She’s right.” Jean agreed with a nod. “Kate doesn’t fit the pattern. She’s different. And why is she different? Because this is about her… I think it always has been.”

 

“Are you saying that all of this – those other three murders –were to cover up the real intended victim? Kate?” Millie gaped at the other women, unable to process what she was hearing.

 

“Think about it… the other three victims – Matthew Prier, Lorraine May and Pamela Murphy – were all part of highly publicised investigations, which we’ve linked to those playing cards we found at the sites.”

 

“Only Jean knew the real reason for Kate coming here until you phoned her sister.” Hailey reminded them, bouncing on the balls of her feet with nervous energy. “But that information fits with the Jack of Hearts card that was left here. There’s nothing else that works… she wasn’t in the papers, she wasn’t being investigated. It’s all we’ve got.”

 

Millie frowned. “But if Kate was the intended target from the beginning…”

 

“The murders started before she arrived.” Jean nodded slowly, knowing where her train of thought was leading. “So who would have known she was coming here?”

 

“We need to work it out fast.” Hailey reminded them, shaking her head. “Going on the past pattern… we’ve got two days at _most_ before we run out of time to find her alive.”

 

“Josephine said that she purchased the boarding pass three weeks before they set sail and the journey took a week or so.” Millie stared at the complex arrangements of documents and evidence they had gathered. “That’s the first and only time, according to her, that anyone outside the family would have known that Kate was coming here.”

 

“In that month the first two victims were murdered.” Iris moved to stand beside her, perusing the board. “The ticket was bought a week before the first murder. Does that mean that whoever we’re looking for travelled over and abducted Matthew Prier immediately?”

 

“More likely our suspect was contacted by someone in England.” Jean reasoned thoughtfully.

 

“But who?”

 

“If we believe that only the family knew – and we believe that it was none of them – then surely it could only be someone at the office where the ticket was bought?”

 

“Or…” Millie frowned. “What about someone who knew about the affair?”

 

“You think it could be something to do with her family?”

 

“No!” The brunette denied immediately. “They might not understand or particularly like her very much, but they would never hurt her.”

 

Hailey looked as though she didn’t quite believe her. “Are you sure about that?”

 

“Yes! Of course I’m sure.”

 

“OK, if we’re thinking that the motive behind all of this was Kate’s affair, then surely that does mean we have a suspect? Surely the police have to look at the husband?” Iris pointed out.

 

Jean shook her head. “What can we do with that information, though? We can’t take it to the police and tell them that they should be looking into the husband of the _woman_ that Kate had an affair with. You know as well as I do how they’d react to that.”

 

As Hailey and Iris moved away to formulate a plan to get information on the steamer line that might help them, Jean moved closer to Millie, who was still staring at the information on the board. She was fixated on the reports about the other three victims, her mind going into overdrive as she thought about what might be happening to Kate while they were trying to work out where she could be.

 

“Are any of Kate’s family coming over from England?” Jean asked in a soft voice, not wanting to scare her friend.

 

Millie shook her head. “No. Josephine said that she supposed they’d have to if the worst happened, but apparently neither she nor James can get away to come over.”

 

“Charming; who needs enemies with friends like that.”

 

“We have to find her, Jean.” The younger woman turned to her and Jean could read the fear in her eyes. “We have to save her.”

 

* * *

 

“I think I know where Kate might be.” Iris announced urgently, moving to place a map on the table, along with the four playing cards they’d collected from the scenes of the four abductions.

 

They had been working on trying to locate where Kate’s abductor might have taken her all night. The police had returned that morning to inform them that they were still following up on several leads, causing Millie to angrily exclaim that they were completely incompetent. Detective Bryce had looked slightly affronted by the comment, but it was plain that Millie had no space in her mind to think of anything but Kate and what might be happening to her.

 

When the police had left, the four women spent several more hours in near silence, trying to piece together what they knew and the information they had gathered about the previous abductions and murders. Jean was starting to get concerned about Millie, who was locked in her own thoughts and barely eating or drinking anything; smoking cigarette after cigarette as she poured over newspaper reports and the map they’d plotted the significant locations on.

 

Tapping on one of the playing cards she had just put down, Iris glanced around at the others. “See these numbers here? I didn’t think they were important; in fact, I’d almost dismissed them completely.” She shook her head. “But then I got to thinking; what if they were a clue to the location.” Pointing to the map, she twisted it so that they could see where she was indicating. “The numbers on the King of Spades matched to the grid reference of the abandoned building where Matthew Prier’s body was found. The same with the numbers on the other two cards.”

 

“So where do the numbers on Kate’s card lead?” Millie demanded eagerly, already twitching in her impatience to leave.

 

“Here… this patch of waste ground just outside the city.”

 

“This is a Department of Transport internally issued map…” Jean pointed out thoughtfully, looking at the insignia in the bottom right-hand corner of the paper. “Is there any reason you’ve used _this_ map?”

 

“It’s the only one where the grid references of the locations matched the numbers on the cards perfectly.” Iris told her.

 

“But aren’t these maps only distributed to authorised personnel for use within the department?”

 

“Don’t ask me how I got hold of it.” Iris advised her.

 

“No, I meant–”

 

“If the killer was using this specific map to note down the grid references of the locations they took their victims, then they must work for the Department of Transport.” Millie breathed, catching up with Jean’s train of thought.

 

“Oh…” Iris’ eyes widened as the realisation hit her. “Oh, of course.”

 

“We need to let Detective Bryce know.”

 

No one argued with Jean’s suggestion and Millie picked up the receiver of the telephone to inform the police of Kate’s possible location. He didn’t ask how they’d worked it out, but advised them to stay safely away from the action and let the proper authorities deal with it.

 

Completely ignoring his request, not even considering it for a moment, they made for the door. Iris snatched up the map and tucked it into her purse. They piled into Hailey’s car and, following her friend’s directions, she drove quickly towards the site they had identified as where Kate might be.

 

In the end, they had to leave the car in a clearing just off the edge of the road and walk further into the woods. It opened out into an expanse of scrubby waste ground. A little way ahead was another copse of trees, but it was a ramshackle old shack that attracted their attention. It seemed to be an odd collection of partially rotting planks and corrugated metal sheets and a sheet of old tarpaulin covering the roof.

 

“This isn’t the right place.” Iris muttered, shaking her head at the map. “We need to keep heading through those trees.”

 

“We should check, though, just in case.” Hailey reasoned, motioning towards the shack.

 

“Wait!” Jean cautioned, her hand shooting out and wrapping around Millie’s wrist as she looked as though she was about to throw open the doors without a second thought. “There might be someone in there. We can’t just jump in feet first.”

 

“I’ll go and take a look.” Hailey offered.

 

The older woman frowned at her, shaking her head. “No, you won’t.”

 

“We can’t just stand here when Kate could be dying inside that shed.”

 

A muffled whimper came from Jean’s right and she sighed, squeezing Millie’s arm gently. She knew that she couldn’t tell her that Kate would be alright, but neither did she want to consider that she wouldn’t be. “I’ll go.”

 

“We’ll go together.” Hailey told her firmly.

 

Nodding, they reached for the doors, pulling them open. For a moment the tension rose, each of them feeling their hearts thundering in their chests at the prospect of what might greet them inside the shed. But then a mixture of relief and disappointment descended over them as they realised the building was empty.

 

A couple of pallets were resting in one corner and a wooden chair was set near the middle. From the lengths of rope beside it, knotted together but clearly having been severed with a knife since, they theorised that Kate could possibly have been held and restrained there in the last couple of hours.

 

As Jean moved forward to examine the space properly, Hailey let out a soft cry and gasped her arm, holding her back. When the other three women turned to look at her in confusion, she pointed to something on the ground just ahead of Jean’s right foot. Furrowing her eyebrows, Millie crouched to get a better look, before gazing up at Hailey, unsure whether she understood correctly.

 

“I told Kate about Hobo Code.” The young woman explained in a rush. “She was interested in our other cases and I told her that I’d thought the Holy Palms Killer was using the code. I showed her some of the symbols… I think she’s used it to leave us a message.”

 

“How can you be sure?”

 

“I can’t.” She admitted with a shrug. “But it’s a lead. It’s something.”

 

“So what does it mean?” Jean wrinkled her nose as she stared down at the squiggles in the dirt.

 

“This way… sleep in barn… good water… unsafe place… don’t give up… and that’s just a K and a C.” Hailey translated the marks on the ground. “It’s got to be from Kate. It has to be. She’s even signed it with her initials.”

 

Millie was inclined to believe her. She straightened, folding her arms and beginning to pace with a frown on her face as she concentrated. The others were speculating as to what Kate could be trying to tell them, where she was trying to lead them, but Millie was more focused on the code itself.

 

“How was she able to leave this for us? How did she know where she was being taken and when would she have had the opportunity to do this. It doesn’t make sense.”

 

“Kate’s more intelligent than she lets on.” Jean reminded her bluntly. “I haven’t known her long, but I’m sure she can be resourceful when she needs to be. If she remembered these codes after a single conversation with Hailey, I’m sure it wouldn’t have taken her very long to mark them on the floor.” She shrugged her shoulders. “As for how she knew where they were taking her… that I don’t know. And quite frankly I’m not remotely bothered. I think we should follow her instructions.”

 

“We’re looking for a barn near a water source of some description in that direction. That’s the direction the map told us to go, too.” Hailey told them; pointing in the same direction as the symbol Kate had drawn. “She wants us to find her… she told us not to give up.”

 

“We won’t.” Iris nodded determinedly. “We’ll find her.”


	5. Chapter 5

They walked until they saw a wooden structure that had definitely seen better days. Hailey yanked Jean back into the cover of the trees as a man appeared from the other side of the barn and entered it, shutting the doors behind him. She didn’t let go as they waited to see what would happen, holding the older woman against her and feeling comforted by her closeness. Jean covered Hailey’s arm around her waist with her hand, squeezing gently.

 

“How can we be sure she’s in there?” Iris murmured. “Do we wait until he comes out?”

 

“No!” Millie shook her head, turning wide eyes on the others. “He could be doing anything to her in there.”

 

“If she’s in there.” Iris reasoned.

 

Hailey was about to say something when a sound from the barn caught their attention: a loud metallic clang, a dull thud and a pained scream. It was enough to cause Millie to let out a strangled sound and attempt to push her way past the others to get towards the barn.

 

“No, Millie, wait!” Hailey reluctantly let go of Jean and grabbed her arm, holding her back. “Just wait!”

 

“We can’t wait. That’s her… that’s Kate. We have to–”

 

“We’ll distract him and you creep in there and get her out.” Jean said, glancing towards Hailey with a determined expression on her face.

 

“No!” Hailey let go of the taller brunette and grasped Jean’s hands, not caring that Millie and Iris were watching them. “No, you can’t. It’s too dangerous. I won’t let you–”

 

“Hailey, we’ll be fine.” Jean promised her gently, sending her a soft, meaningful smile. She squeezed the hands clasping hers, letting her thumb stoke over the knuckles that were almost white with how hard they were gripping. “But Kate might not be, so you need to get her out of that barn.”

 

Ignoring the knowing look that Millie was sending her, in spite of the panic and terror that was clearly coursing through her body, Jean motioned towards the barn doors. They waited for Hailey to hide herself from view, before steeling themselves and yanking them open.

 

There was an immediate reaction to the sudden intrusion. A tall, muscular man whirled around to scowl at them darkly, surging forward with a metal pipe in his hands. They only managed to catch a glimpse of the rest of the inside of the barn, before he was striding towards them and slamming the door behind him.

 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He demanded furiously. “This is private property.”

 

“Sorry, sorry…” Millie held up her hands apologetically. If nothing else, she was fantastic at forcing herself to pretend to be calm. “Our car broke down and we were wondering if there was someone around here who could help us.”

 

“Not here there ain’t.”

 

Watching Hailey slipping through the double doors and disappearing from view, Jean stepped forward. “I’m sure it would only take a moment.”

 

“I said I can’t help you, lady.” He told her firmly.

 

“Well could you at least direct us to someone who can?” Millie pressed, seeing him starting to turn to head back into the barn. “We really would be incredibly grateful.”

 

With a long, exhalation that expressed just how much of an inconvenience it was for him to give them directions, the man walked a little way away from the barn so that he could signal more effectively. By the fifth time he was interrupted by Jean, asking for clarification on what he was saying, Millie spotted Hailey signalling to them at the edge of the coppice they’d walked through to get to the barn out of the corner of her eye. She sincerely hoped that the young woman had found Kate and managed to get her out of the building safely.

 

“Thank you so much for your help.” She smiled, cutting across whatever Jean was saying. “We really appreciate it.”

 

He made a sound in his throat, before turning and stamping back towards the barn. The second he disappeared inside, Hailey sprinted towards it with a plank of wood in her hands, jamming it against the handles and making sure it wouldn’t move.

 

“Come on!” She breathed heavily from the exertion, nodding her head towards the cluster of trees. “We’ve gotta go.”

 

“Did you find Kate?” Millie demanded, grasping her anxiously by the upper arms. “Did you find her? Is she alright?”

 

Hailey nodded. “I found her. She’s… come on, let’s go. We can’t hang around wasting time.”

 

Not waiting to hear the end of the sentence, Millie was striding towards the trees that Hailey had motioned towards. Jean thought that she would have been on the verge of breaking into a run if her destination had been any further away. Iris headed after her, leaving Jean and Hailey alone for a moment.

 

Before she started walking to catch up with the others, Jean turned to the younger woman with a worried expression twisting her features. “How is she?”

 

“She’s in a bad way, I think.” Hailey admitted, chewing her lip. She reached for Jean’s hand, linking their fingers for a moment. “I’m no doctor, but… I think we got to her just in time. There was blood and… she was slipping in and out of consciousness…”

 

“The mark?”

 

Hailey nodded slowly. “I think so.”

 

On each of the victims so far there had been a cross carved into the flesh of the right forearm. It would definitely leave a very large, visible scar on living flesh. Jean had been hoping that they would manage to get to Kate before she was branded, or that the mark had been cut into the other victims post-mortem, but apparently the young woman hadn’t been that lucky.

 

Letting her eyes slip closed, Jean exhaled sharply, squeezing the hand in hers. Hand in hand, they made their way quickly towards the trees, reaching the others in moments. Millie was kneeling on the ground, cradling Kate in her arms with her face buried in her hair. Iris was hovering nervously behind her, eyeing the young woman warily and apparently assessing her condition with a critical eye. She met Jean’s gaze, motioning towards the blood-caked forearm and the mark they would probably find underneath.

 

“We need to get her to hospital.” She murmured, glancing at Jean again.

 

Nodding, the Scot stepped forward and laid a hand on her best friend’s shoulder. “Come on, dear, we need to get her away from here.”

 

Millie nodded, helping Hailey to lift Kate and supporting her as they carefully picked their way over the uneven ground to where they’d left the car. Hailey insisted on swapping with Iris so that she could walk behind the others protectively, keeping her eyes and ears trained for any indication that Kate’s abductor had escaped from the barn and was following them.

 

* * *

 

 

Hailey dropped Iris and Jean at the police station to explain everything to Detective Bryce, before driving Kate straight to hospital. A tense couple of hours followed where they waited for news on the young woman’s condition and whether the police had caught her abductor.

 

Iris and Jean arrived to share the news that the suspect had been apprehended moments before Kate’s doctor informed them that most of her injuries were superficial, although she would need to stay in hospital for a couple of days under observation. She had several damaged ribs and had lost a lot of blood, which would need replacing.

 

Although they were relieved at the outcome, the four women were still shaken by the whole situation. They cooperated with the police, giving statements and sharing the evidence they’d found where they could. Iris, Jean and Hailey visited Kate in hospital as much as possible, even though she had barely regained consciousness for any significant length of time since being rescued, but Millie had refused to leave her bedside. She even gave her statement from Kate’s hospital room, staring defiantly at the officers when they dared to suggest that she step outside to answer their questions.

 

Kate had drifted in and out of consciousness for several days. Each time she briefly woke up, she was sure that Millie was sitting beside her. The thought reassured her that she was going to get through her ordeal, although she wasn’t sure whether she could trust herself and what she thought she was seeing. The amount of painkillers she was on could have been causing her to hallucinate or, she admitted, she could just be seeing what she wanted to see.

 

A couple of days after everything had been brought to an end, Jean arrived at the hospital to visit Millie as much as Kate. She smiled warmly at the younger brunette as she entered the room, glancing towards Kate and finding herself unsurprised to see that she was asleep.

 

“What have they said?” Jean asked, sliding into the hard wooden seat beside the one Millie had barely left for the past three days. “Anything new?”

 

“Not much… she’s much stronger than she was and the times where she’s awake are getting longer, although she doesn’t really remember anything. The doctor said that it’s probably because of her medication so her short-term memory should sort itself out very soon and she can come home in a couple more days.”

 

“Have you let Kate’s family know she’s been found yet?” Jean asked in a low voice, keeping one eye on the sleeping young woman.

 

“No.” Millie frowned at her, ripping her gaze away from Kate for a moment. “I’m not leaving her, especially not to let her family know she’s alright when they weren’t worried in the first place.”

 

“Would you like me to do it?”

 

“They don’t deserve to be told.”

 

“Millie…”

 

“I’m sorry, I… Yes, please. I don’t think I can. I’d probably end up saying something I shouldn’t.”

 

“Alright, I’ll telephone when I go home. Is the number–?”

 

“In my address book.” Millie smiled gratefully at her before dropping her gaze back to the pale face nestled amongst crisp, white pillows. “How are you, anyway? Sorry I haven’t been…”

 

“I’m fine.” Jean assured her. “Hailey’s been staying at the flat to keep me company while you’re here.”

 

Millie watched her for a moment, noting how her best friend was steadfastly staring at the back of Kate’s hand rather than meeting her eyes. When she cleared her throat softly, Jean raised her gaze for a moment, before dropping it back to the redhead’s hand once more. If Millie wasn’t very much mistaken, there was a light blush high on her cheeks.

 

“Jean… is there anything you want to talk about? Anything at all?”

 

“Hailey and I…” She started softly, before trailing off, apparently not sure how to continue the admission.

 

“Oh, Jean, finally!” Millie sent her a warm, genuine smile, reaching out and taking her hand. “I’m so pleased for you both.”

 

“Millie, I–”

 

“Jean, I really am delighted for you. If anyone deserves any happiness in this godforsaken world then it’s you. After everything… I know Hailey will look after you.”

 

“You’re not surprised?”

 

Millie laughed. “Why would I be? I think we’ve been friends long enough to understand certain things about each other and ourselves.”

 

“So is there anything _you’d_ like to talk to _me_ about?” Jean asked, one eyebrow rising towards her hairline. When Millie shook her head, she sighed. “I think you should go home and get some sleep.”

 

“I won’t leave her, Jean. I can’t.” She shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes. “I could have lost her… I did almost lose her. She can’t wake up on her own. I…”

 

“You’re in love with her.” Jean said simply, nodding in understanding. She pressed her hand over her best friend’s and smiled. “Of course you are. I knew it the moment you set eyes on her on the porch. Before the exasperation kicked in, that is.”

 

“I didn’t know it then. I didn’t really know it until… why did it take me almost losing her forever to realise that I love her?”

 

“Because that’s what happens.” Jean shrugged. “Love doesn’t care about timing or what’s easy or fair. It creeps up on you when you least expect it, but then it’s too late and there’s nothing you can do about it, no matter how hard you try.”

 

“Is that what happened with you and Hailey?” Millie asked softly, seeing the far-away look in the older woman’s eyes as she stared unseeingly at the sleeping redhead.

 

Jean whipped her head around sharply. Then she sighed and nodded. “I tried to resist… to make Hailey see sense. But… I can’t help it. I love her and she, for some reason, loves me.”

 

“I’m happy for you. I truly am. As I said, if anyone deserves to find happiness and love, then it’s you.” Millie told her, patting her hand again. “Hailey is a lucky woman.”

 

“I rather think Kate and I are the lucky ones.”

 

Millie shook her head sadly. “I don’t think so. Kate once told me that she wished I was her sister, instead of Josephine, and I’m very much afraid that’s how she still sees me; how she’ll always see me… as an older sister.”

 

“I wouldn’t be so sure, dear.” Jean chuckled quietly. “Besides, I have a feeling she thinks that _you_ see _her_ as your younger sister. Talk to her; tell her the truth.”

 

“I will, as soon as she’s up to it.”

 

“You do need to tell her.” Jean persisted gently, patting the hand that was still holding her own. “She wants to hear it.”

 

“Has she spoken to you about this… about me?”

 

“Yes.” The older woman replied simply, seeing no point in lying.

 

Letting out a long sigh, Millie nodded, knowing that she was right. They talked in low voices for a while, their gazes drawn to the white bandage around Kate’s forearm. Each of them was both intrigued and apprehensive about its removal and seeing what would be left underneath. Before the nurses had cleaned it up, Kate’s arm had been too much of a mess to see what the damage was. They were both still clinging onto the hope that she’d been spared the mark, but they also knew it was highly unlikely.

 

Saying goodnight, Jean paused for a moment before patting Millie lightly on the cheek and sending her a warm smile. Then she was gone and Millie was left alone with a sleeping Kate and her own thoughts once more. Reaching out, the older woman lifted a strand of wavy, copper-coloured hair, twisting it gently around her finger for a moment, before laying it carefully on the pillow.

 

As she retracted her hand, Kate began to stir, breathing in deeply and blinking several times. As her eyes focused on Millie, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment, before she dropped her gaze to the machinery she was hooked up to.

 

“Shh, darling, don’t try to speak.” Millie smiled softly at the younger woman, reaching out and touching her cheek lightly. “You’re alright now. You’re safe.”

 

“I… I thought I was going to die.” Kate whispered. “He… he told me I’d brought it on myself and I… I did, didn’t I? All this… he said it was my fault. The other victims?”

 

“No, shh… this wasn’t your fault.” Millie shook her head, a light frown appearing on her face. She shuffled her chair as close to the bed as she could manage, taking Kate’s left hand in both of hers. “You didn’t make him do this. He made a conscious choice to kill those people; it was nothing to do with you.”

 

“But I–”

 

“You probably shouldn’t have had the affair, no.” Millie agreed with her reluctantly. “But what happened next is not your fault.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

“How did you find me?” Kate asked, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. When she opened them again, she found the older woman watching her with concern. “I’m OK. Please… talk to me. He left me in the dark and it was so quiet, I… I don’t want it to be quiet.”

 

Stroking her cheek again, before returning to holding her hand, Millie nodded. “OK. It was actually Iris who worked it out. She realised that the playing cards had map references written on them and plotted the locations. That led us to the shed where we found the Hobo Code you left for us.”

 

Kate smiled weakly. “You found it…”

 

“We did. Hailey spotted it at once. I still can’t believe you were able to leave us such a wonderful clue.”

 

“It was hard.” The younger woman admitted. “I was sure he was going to realise and destroy it.”

 

“I’m so glad he didn’t.” Millie told her, her eyes flooded with emotion. “If he had, we might not have found you and…” She inhaled sharply. “What can you remember? You’re going to have to talk to the police and talking to me first might help to make it a bit easier.”

 

“He left me in that shed thing overnight… it was so cold. I would never have thought it would be; it’s still warm in the days. But then he came back in the morning and said he’d found a barn and he told me exactly what he was going to do to me. It was him who tried to run Jean and me over. He left me in no doubt that I was going to die… he was going to kill me, like the others, and I… all I could think about was you, Millie. I kept thinking about you finding me… like the others.”

 

“Oh, Kate, darling… I wouldn’t have been able to bear…”

 

“Thank you for saving me.”

 

A soft, slightly bitter laugh met Kate’s ears in response to her words. “It’s not me you should thank. It’s the others. Iris worked out where you were, Hailey actually got you out of that place and Jean… Jean held us all together like she always does. She was the one who realised there must be a link between what happened in England and what was going on. I didn’t really do anything useful…”

 

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Kate replied, doing her best to smile warmly, but even that hurt.

 

“Oh, it’s true.” Millie assured her with a self-depreciating chuckle. “All I managed was despair, panic and offending the police department by suggesting they were incompetent.”

 

“You said what?” Kate attempted to laugh, before hissing in pain and causing Millie to lean forward in concern and run a soothing hand through her hair. “I’m fine… just a bit sore.”

 

“Fractured ribs will do that, so I’ve heard.” There was a pause. “Do you think you can tell me more about what happened? It might help.”

 

Kate shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it until I have to. I don’t want to tell _you_ about it.”

 

Sighing, Millie stroked her cheek with the backs of her fingers and nodded understandingly. “You will have to tell the police, though.”

 

“Did you honestly say that they were incompetent?” Kate asked curiously. When Millie nodded, she looked even more bemused. “Why? I thought you and Detective Bryce… you know. Jean said that you’d been on several dates.”

 

“Oh, Kate…” The older woman chuckled softly, raising her hand to the redhead’s cheek and brushing the backs of her fingers along her jaw. “I’m not remotely interest in Detective Bryce, darling.”

 

“You’re not?”

 

“No, sweetheart, I’m not.”

 

“But… why? He seems nice and he obviously likes you a lot.”

 

“Mmm…” Millie nodded slowly, before meeting Kate’s eyes unflinchingly and holding her gaze. “But I was rather hoping that there’s someone else who also likes me a lot; someone that I like a lot. Someone that I think I might, accidentally, have fallen in love with.”

 

“Oh…” The redhead shifted in her bed, the smile dropping slightly from her face. Forcing it back into place, she cleared her throat. “Really? Who?”

 

Something flashed in the brunette’s eyes momentarily, a spark of something rather like amusement. “I don’t know if I should say…”

 

“Go on, Mills. Who would I tell, especially at the moment? Besides, I wouldn’t share your secret, anyway.”

 

“I know that, darling.”

 

“Who is it? Who is _she_?”

 

In spite of herself, the older woman blinked in surprise. “You knew?”

 

“Of course I knew, Millie.” Kate smiled, shaking her head. “I’ve practically always known. I’ve known since you made a comment about how beautiful one of the bridesmaid’s was at your cousin Veronica’s wedding.”

 

“Well… she was beautiful.” Millie pointed out, looking a little flustered. “Besides, you could only have been, what, twelve or thirteen at the time?”

 

“Yes, I was thirteen, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t understand what you meant. I wasn’t wrong, was I?”

 

“No, you weren’t.”

 

“So? It’s a woman?”

 

“Yes, she’s a woman.”

 

“So… who is she?” Kate pressed, forcing herself to smile again.

 

“Oh, now that’s the thing.” Millie sighed dramatically. “She’s my one of my oldest and dearest friends. Somewhere along the line, I’ve fallen in love with her and I’m really hoping that my feelings don’t turn out to be unrequited.”

 

“Millie… I’m really sorry, but… Jean is… Jean and Hailey…”

 

“Wait? You know about Jean and Hailey?”

 

“Hang on, _you_ know about Jean and Hailey?”

 

“Of course I know about them.” Millie scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Jean’s my best friend, Kate. How do _you_ know about them?”

 

“Who do you think gave them a shove in the right direction in the first place?”Kate frowned. “But if you didn’t mean Jean…?”

 

“I was talking about you, you fool.” The brunette told her with a deep, exasperated sigh, reaching for her hand again.

 

“Me?”

 

“Yes, you, Kate.” Millie laughed softly, leaning forward and cupping the younger woman’s cheek. “I love you. When I thought I’d never see you again, when I thought I’d lost you, it made me realise just how much.”

 

“But you… _Me_?”

 

“You’ve already said that.” She teased, running her fingers through Kate’s hair.

 

“Millie, are you…? I mean, are you sure? This isn’t just a reaction to what happened? You’ve never… I never thought…”

 

“No, it’s not a reaction. I wondered that too, at first, but I’ve thought about it a lot. I think I’ve been falling in love with you for a long time. When I first realised, I didn’t dare to hope you might feel the same. You’re so young–”

 

“Not that young.” The redhead argued. “There’s less of an age gap between us than there is between Jean and Hailey and they’re not letting it worry them. Well… not since I talked Jean out of that idiocy, anyway.”

 

“Oh, my darling!” Millie started laughing, dropping her head to rest on Kate’s arm once more. “You’re wonderful, do you know that?”

 

“Not really,” she shook her head, “but I think I could be if I had someone who was worth being wonderful for.”

 

Biting her lip, Millie glanced towards the door nervously, before leaning closer and pressing her lips to Kate’s for the briefest of moments. “I love you.”

 

The kiss left Kate breathless, even though it had been a quick, chaste peck. Her smile stretched from ear to ear and almost blinded Millie with its intensity. She gripped the hand that was clasped in hers tightly, raising it to her lips and pressing another kiss to the back of it.

 

“I love you, too.”

 

“Do you remember William’s christening?” Millie asked suddenly.

 

Kate smiled, remembering the look on her sister’s face when she’d arrived at the church for her nephew’s christening, late and drenched from head to toe. The heavens had opened as she’d been running from the train station, the rain lashing down so hard it bounced off the pavement under her feet. Kate had crashed through the door in the middle of the opening prayers, earning herself a thunderous scowl from the rest of her family and their guests. Millie, though, had caught her eye momentarily, before ducking her head to hide her laughter.

 

“How could I forget? I ruined the entire day.”

 

“You didn’t, darling.” Millie informed her with a fond smile. “You made it bearable. I was almost dying of boredom before you arrived.” She smiled, tilting her head to one side. “I think that’s when I started falling in love with you.”

 

“What?” Kate laughed incredulously. “I looked a complete state!”

 

“You looked beautiful.” The brunette corrected. “Besides, I couldn’t give two figs what you look like. You were like a chaotic whirlwind breathing fresh air into the midst of those boring stuffed shirts.”

 

“I think I was already in love with you by then.” Kate admitted, sending her a crooked smile. “After I figured out that Josephine only came to visit me at school because you were making her – and then you started coming without her – I realised that I preferred it when it was just you and me anyway.”

 

“So did I.” Millie agreed. “Josephine spent most of the time moaning. It was infuriating.”

 

“Do you remember that day we met for lunch and you told me you’d seen your old friend Susan?” Kate asked softly. Millie nodded curiously, obviously wondering what the younger woman was about to tell her. “I was going to say something that day, to tell you how I felt. But–”

 

“I was going on and on about Susan.” With a groan, Millie hid her face behind her hand. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I was actually going to say it didn’t seem like the right time.” Kate told her gently, tangling her fingers in Millie’s hair. “I know you loved Susan very much, so I understand why seeing her again after all those years would cause old feelings to resurface. I’m just sorry you got hurt.” She smiled. “None of that matters anymore, though, not if you truly meant it.”

 

“I do, my darling. I love you.”

 

“And I love you.”

 

Pressing forward, Millie kissed Kate gently again, only lingering for a moment before resting their foreheads together. They both knew it was too risky to do any more in their current location, but, when Millie drew back, Kate missed the contact. She reached desperately for the older woman’s hand, linking their fingers together and squeezing tightly.

 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Millie promised softly, bringing their joined hands to her lips and kissing the back of Kate’s fingers.

 

For a moment they sat quietly, before Kate raised her right arm and glanced towards the bandage. “Did he…?”

 

“We’re not sure, darling.” Millie admitted, running her index finger lightly down the gauze. “You were too much of a mess to tell when we brought you in, then they cleaned you up and put the bandage on. But… it doesn’t matter a jot to me. It’s a symbol that you survived.”

 

The redhead laughed cynically. “Wait until you see the damage before you make claims like that.”

 

“Kate, honestly, I don't–”

 

“Did they get him? You haven’t said.”

 

Millie nodded. “They got him.”

 

“Why–?”

 

“He was an old friend of Christopher Johnson, who was–”

 

“Elsie’s husband.” Kate sighed. “It really was all my fault.”

 

“It turned out that Johnson worked for the steamer company, so he must have found out you were coming here and let his friend know. I imagine they cooked up this whole plan between them.” Millie continued in an unemotional tone. “The police on both sides of the Atlantic are working together on this one.”

 

“Did you tell my family?”

 

Millie nodded slowly. “I telephoned Josephine. I’m sure she’ll be relieved to know you’re safe.”

 

“Let me guess, she didn’t offer to come over?” Kate asked bitterly. “Was she even remotely upset?”

 

“Kate…”

 

“It’s OK. _I’m_ OK. I’m used to it.” She smiled tightly. “New life… fresh start.” Sensing that Millie was about to argue with her, Kate glanced towards the door. “Have you left since I was brought in here? Have you eaten a square meal? I don’t want you getting ill because of me.”

 

“I’ll leave when you do.”

 

Kate chuckled weakly. “No, Millie. You’ll go now. I’m going back to sleep anyway. Go on.”

 

“I thought you said you didn’t want it to be quiet?”

 

“I’ve changed my mind about that.”

 

“Darling, let me–”

 

Squeezing her hand, Kate shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere, Millie. I’ll be right here when you’ve had something to eat and a chance to rest. Besides, I need you to go and thank Jean and Hailey and Iris for me, seeing as they’re apparently the ones who saved my life.”

 

Realising she wasn’t going to change her mind, Millie nodded and leant in to press a kiss to Kate’s cheek. She closed her eyes, nuzzling against her for a moment, before moving her lips to the redhead’s ear.

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you.” Kate whispered back, turning to her head to meet the older woman’s lips for a proper kiss.

 

* * *

 

Millie had been expecting to see Hailey at the flat. What she hadn’t been expecting, however, was to find her and Jean in such a domestic arrangement.

 

Letting herself in, the brunette leant heavily against the front door for a moment, before walking slowly towards the kitchen. She smiled as she saw Jean pottering around, apparently making a fresh pot of tea. Hailey was leaning against the counters, her hands wrapped around a coffee mug, and grinning at something Jean was telling her in a low voice. Apparently not noticing Millie approaching, the younger woman put her mug down and moved to stand behind her lover, wrapping her arms around Jean’s waist and pressing a kiss to the underside of her jaw.

 

“Hello.” Millie called cheerily, unable to hide her smirk when the two women jumped apart and looked around guiltily.

 

“What are you doing here? I thought you’d be at the hospital until Kate was allowed home.” Jean said, looking at her in concern. “Is everything alright?”

 

“She’s fine. She’s awake and demanding that I came home to get some rest and a decent meal.”

 

“Ah, does that mean she’s up for a visitor?” Hailey asked hopefully, glancing between the two Brits.

 

“I imagine she would be glad of the company.”

 

Beaming at them brightly, Hailey grabbed her jacket off the back of the chair, pausing only to give Jean a quick kiss, before rushing out of the flat and closing the door behind her with a bang. They watched her go with quiet amusement at her usual boundless enthusiasm, before Jean returned to making tea and Millie collapsed into one of the chairs at the table, tiredly resting her head on her arms.

 

“How is she?”

 

“Brave.” Millie sighed. “I don’t think she really wants to talk about what happened much. She told me a bit, but… she didn’t want to tell me any details.”

 

“That’s understandable.” Jean said reasonably. “It must have been horrific.”

 

“I told her I love her.”

 

The older woman barely reacted to the blurted admission. Instead, she set a cup of tea and a sandwich on the table in front of Millie, before settling herself in the chair opposite. Taking an unhurried sip of her own tea, she watched carefully as her best friend started picking at her snack.

 

“I assume Kate returned the sentiment?” She replied at last.

 

Millie nodded, a small, shy smile twisting her lips. “She did.”

 

Jean bent her head a little to hide her own smile, raising her cup to her lips. “I think you were right about us living here, Millie. Thank you for encouraging me to stay. I think we’re both going to be very happy after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end! 
> 
> But... I am working on a sequel because I am completely obsessed/in love with these ladies!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed :)


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